Laura LE Johnson

I Was Told to Dial It Back

Early in my leadership career in financial services, I was told I was “too aggressive.” I had just come out of a leadership meeting where the CFO asked for ideas. I raised my hand and offered a clear, thoughtful, and direct idea.

He dismissed it.

Then a male colleague stood and shared the exact same idea. This time, the CFO lit up. Praised it. Expanded on it. The man sitting next to me leaned over and whispered, “Didn’t you just say that?” Yes. Yes, I had.

My leadership development coach, a woman, advised me to soften. Step back. Let my male manager speak for me. What struck me wasn’t the sting of the criticism. It was the confusion.

I grew up in an egalitarian home with three older brothers. My parents worked side by side. My mother was confident and secure in who she was. My father treated me as an equal to my brothers. I entered the corporate world expecting the same. Instead, I was told to be smaller. Quieter. Less direct. Less me.

And that was the moment I began to understand something most high-performing women eventually learn:

Competence is not the same thing as permission.

I Tried to Shrink. It Didn’t Work.

I adjusted my tone. I held back in meetings. I deferred when I normally would have leaned in. And my effectiveness dropped. I was off balance and remained confused about where my boundaries were.

Not because I lacked competence (which I started to believe was the case) but because I was operating outside my authenticity. And this is a lesson it took me decades to fully realize...

Men and women function differently. Men are more likely to present achievements as ability-based; women often soften attribution or share credit. When capable women soften their judgment, decisiveness, and synthesis, they don’t become more promotable. They become less visible.

That season shaped everything that followed.

It Took Time. And That Matters

I'll admit that I didn’t immediately reject the feedback. I wrestled with it. I questioned myself. I adjusted to the ill-fitted space I was told I needed to inhabit.

It has taken decades to fully trust my voice again without apology. Yes! I'm finally my fully out-there, authentic me! And I'm still learning. And I'm still growing. But depth takes time. Clarity takes time. Conviction takes time.

Every stage prepared me to guide women through the very tension I once navigated alone.

Credentials & Experience

Laura Lee Ellen “Laura” Johnson, MBA
Founder & CEO, LLEJ Careers

Author / Speaker / Master Personal Branding Strategist

35+ years in leadership across corporate and nonprofit environments
18+ years in executive branding and career strategy coaching
Certified Master Personal Branding Strategist (one of ~25 globally)
Certified Digital Branding Strategist
Certified Interview & Compensation Negotiation Coach
Career Industry Authority with the Career Thought Leaders Consortium
MBA, DePaul University
2 BAs, Psychology & Telecommunications, Michigan State University
Coached and guided 1,000+ leaders

Strategic. Confidential. Direct. Compassionate.

My experience spans social systems, corporate environments, and executive-level advisory, enabling me to view leadership through structural, strategic, and human lenses simultaneously.